Mindy Kaling’s ‘Not Suitable for Work’ Is a Bland ‘Friends’ Copycat With Hints of a Sharper Show: TV Review

By Alison Herman

Alison Herman

TV Critic

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Mindy Kaling is moving through the stages of life. With Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever,” the comedy mogul took on high school; with HBO Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” she (literally) graduated to college. Hulu’s “Not Suitable for Work” — Kaling’s first show with sole creator credit since “The Mindy Project,” showrun by her longtime collaborator Charlie Grandy — continues this progression into the uncertain time after the diploma, with characters struggling to establish both careers and adult relationships. But while college shows are notoriously difficult to nail, making the three-season run of “Sex Lives” a notable achievement, and “Never Have I Ever” painted a specific portrait of an Indian American family in Los Angeles as narrated by John McEnroe, “Not Suitable for Work” is a bland take on a well-trodden setup. The glimmers of a more biting, memorable take on young people juggling jobs and love in New York City throughout the nine-episode season end up being just that: glimmers.

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